1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to containers for the short term storage and transportation of pizza, and more particularly concerns a pizza delivery box which facilitates prevention of spillage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The flat circular configuration of the prepared food product known as pizza makes it well suited for transport from its place of fabrication, sometimes called a pizzeria, to the location where it will be eaten. The handling of the pizza for delivery purposes is generally facilitated by placing it in a disposable square cardboard box of flat profile which maintains the warmth of the pizza, and facilitates vertical stacking of several pizzas in non-contacting relationship. The boxed pizzas are generally transported by the consumer in his private automotive vehicle.
The semi-fluid nature of the pizza is conducive to gravity-induced flow. The magnitude of such flow is accentuated by the large circular diameter of the pizza, and is further dependent upon the degree of inclination of the box and the time duration of transport. It is therefore important to maintain the pizza in a horizontal orientation during transportation. Since most private vehicles do not have a horizontal surface upon which the box can be securely placed, it becomes necessary to manipulate the box to a reasonably horizontal position. However, it is not easy to ascertain a horizontal disposition.
The need to maintain pizzas in a horizontal state during delivery has been addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,686 which concerns a carrying case of durable and complex construction having audio alarm means for signaling a tilted position of the pizza. U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,002 concerns a self-leveling container for transporting a pizza upon the front seat of an automotive vehicle. Although the specialized devices of the aforesaid patents are useful for those in the business of delivering pizzas, they are not suitable or practical for the typical consumer who occasionally picks up a hot pizza from the place of fabrication, and transports it to his home.
Currently utilized discardable cardboard pizza delivery boxes are stored at the pizzeria in a flattened state whereby they occupy relatively little space. The flat cardboard is generally of monolithic construction and foldable to create a box of square contour and low profile having a bottom portion and lid portion.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a disposable pizza box which facilitates attainment of a horizontal disposition.
It is another object of this invention to provide a pizza box as in the foregoing object which may exist in a flattened storage state.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pizza box of the aforesaid nature of simple construction amenable to low cost manufacture.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.